The Girl, the God, and the Demons
by Knight of the Sun
Summary: When Diana Taylor tranfers to a Japanese school, she encounters the Reikai Tentai, not knowing who exactly they are. What is her connection to the ancient Greeks? Chapter fifteen up!
1. The Dream

Hi people! This is my much awaited and first fanfiction! :Does a happy dance: I have worked long and hard on this fic, and I hope that you enjoy it. I will have my annoying alter-ego Kris do the disclaimer.

Kris: Annoying now? Hmph! :Turns away in anger:

Me: Just do the damn disclaimer!

Kris: Fine. :Gives evil glare: She owns nothing! Nada! Zip! Zilch! Zippo!

Me: They get the idea.

Kris: Oh...

_Mama _= Thoughts

Mama = Narration/Speaking

**The Girl, the God, and the Demons**

Chapter One: The Dream

"Nooooooo!!!!!!!" Diana Taylor woke with a start, springing up from her fluffy pillow. She glanced at her clock, which read 2:08 am, as she propped herself up against her pillow. She brushed her auburn hair out of her emerald eyes, uncovering many cute freckles, and stared at the ceiling. _How weird,_ she thought, remembering her odd dream.

_It had started outside a dark, mysterious forest, which Diana's dream self had unwisely entered. Then, quite suddenly, an equally mysterious figure with vivid red hair down to his back and emerald eyes, much like her own, emerged from a nearby tree. He directed her to a misty clearing, where an odd cloaked figure was awaiting her. It spoke, sounding quite young,_

_"So, you have arrived. Well, sit down."_

_"O-okay", her dream self had replied uncertainly._

_Much to her surprise, she started to glow a crimson red. The other two, although, weren't shocked like her, but were smiling, as though they had waited a long time for such a joyous event. Her dream self jumped in shock, and ran away from the mysterious figures. She ran right into a tree, and fell clumsily._

_"How strange." Someone, a female, giggled nearby. Diana's dream self looked up, and saw a beautiful huntress, with odd turquoise eyes and light brown hair in a messy braid, accompanied by a deer. Her Greek-style moccasins kicked up dust when she walked, and it surrounded her with a misty aura. It seemed as if she had appeared out of nowhere. She carried on her back a sling of arrows, as well as a bow. A small dagger was strapped to her linen skirt, and on her hand, she carried an ancient shield. Diana wondered vaguely if the stranger had stolen all of these ancient accessories, for no one in their right mind actually owned those kinds of things. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, until something strange happened._

_The tall stranger glanced up towards the absent moon, and her stare remained there. Then, she underwent a horrifying transformation. Her less-than-perfect hair broke free of its loose bonds, and spiked, unaided, in all directions; it looked as though she were receiving an electric shock. Her kind turquoise eyes narrowed in hate and turned into a fiery red. The deer turned and fled, and the stranger's many freckles turned into zits. Her hands, hidden within stylish leather gloves, became claws. She turned slowly and faced Diana, who was cowering in fear._

_The she-devil lunged, but Diana dodged with astonishing speed, which she certainly couldn't do under normal circumstances. The monster turned, and lunged again. Diana's dream self had nowhere to run. She put up her arms, still glowing crimson, like the rest of her body, to block the attack. There was a bright flash of crimson light, and the monster flew back against a tree, uttering a cry of pain. Diana looked up, thoroughly confused. Why did the monster stop attacking? What had blasted it back, away from her? Her dream self walked cautiously toward it, avoiding all debris along the way. She looked down upon its face, a hideous face, even ugly when unconscious. Then, it blinked. It was slightly disoriented, but, upon seeing Diana, regained consciousness. Diana ran as fast as she could, but the thing cornered her. It lunged for a third time, and didn't miss._

"Oh-oh, well. I probably shouldn't have watched that werewolf movie last night..." She mumbled to herself, and drifted into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, in a world well above the clouds, there sat a teenager, with vivid red hair down to his back and emerald eyes. He chuckled to himself, and said, "How amusing. We're supposed to keep her subdued, correct? I hope she isn't _too _headstrong..."

"I should hope not," replied a small child opposite him, "She will be very strong one day, and mustn't know of us. Now, on with the plan."


	2. The Exchange

Oh...Ah...Anyway, here's the next chapter! I'm sorry if it turned out bad. I haven't gotten this one beta-read. Sorry! Reviews! I feel so special!

**Demon of the Black Fire:** I love cliff-hangers!!!! I love to keep the readers guessing. Heheheh...

**Yume No Anime:** I love that name! This isn't going to be the usual OC fic. You'll see in later chapters...Hehehehe

**Kuramalovergonecrazy**: Wow! What a name! If you like the story now, you'll love it later!

**Crimson314:** Here's your update! Enjoy!

**Moon Archer**: Hurry and update you story! Sorry that you couldn't beta-read this story, I hope it doesn't suck too bad... You're right, I do rock. Just kidding!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own YYH(Kurama....Nooooo!!! ::Cries obsessively::) However, I do own the plot and all its twists. I also own lots of other things, including an army of world-domination crazed psychotic weasles. MUHAHAHAHA!!! ::coughhackcough:: Damn laugh...

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Two: The exchange

The next morning, while Diana pondered the odd dream, her thoughts were interrupted by her mother, who excitedly proclaimed,

"Di, Di!!! You've been accepted into the exchange program!!! You're going to JAPAN!!!!!!!!"

"No need to sound so excited about it..." She replied sullenly, reluctant to leave her American life behind.

Ever since her mother had forced her to apply to that dumb program, she had become more depressed than ever. Her friends had tried to cheer her up, but Diana would accept no comfort. She was set on enduring the horrible ordeal by herself, and she was infamous for being stubborn. Her ideas of weakness were utterly ridiculous, but that was just who she was. She finished the rest of her burnt breakfast(Her mother wasn't paying too much attention to it) and sulked up to her room, to get ready for her last day of eighth grade, as well as her last day in America for a year. _A year without any of my friends_, she thought grimly, _a year with a stupid school, and a year with a strict family. Oh, joy._ She was to stay with the Minamino family, whoever they were. All she knew about them was that there was only a single mom, raising a son named Shuichi, about her age, and that his father had died when he was young.

"Earth to Di. Come in Di. Di? What's up? You seem sad. Is this about the exchange thing? Listen, it won't be too bad. Hey, you might even get a foreign boyfriend. Goodness knows that you need one. Hmm, Di?" Her best friend Cerfi said in one breath, trying her hardest to brighten up Diana's mood.

"Shut it, Cerfi." Diana snapped back, smiling in spite of herself. She was always against dating, viewing it as 'an extremely bias activity'. She was too busy moping in her gloom to be cheered up, not for lack of effort.

Later that day, her parents saw her off at the airport, after promising to keep in touch by email. After what seemed like an eternity, she arrived at the Tokyo airport. She waited by her luggage until the Minamino family arrived. After a while, Diana spotted a pair of people, both with long hair; the person's on the left was a vivid red; the right, black. Diana assumed that these were the Minamino's, as they were carrying her luggage. _Why didn't anyone tell me about their daughter? _She thought confusedly as she flagged them down.

"Hi, Diana! That is your name, right?" the one on the right said, adding a slight bow. Diana assumed that this was the mother, judging by the motherly tone. Diana noticed that she had rather large scars on both of her arms, and tried not to look at them.

"Yeah, and your Mrs. Minamino, right? My exchange parent?" Diana said politely, offering her hand, suppressing her thoughts of rage and betrayal.

"Yes, but call me Shiori. This is my son, Shuichi." Mrs. Minamino replied, ignoring Diana's outstretched hand. _Son?_ Diana thought, bewildered. _Oops..._ The person next to Mrs. Minamino gave a slight bow and spoke,

"Pleased to meet you." He smiled politely and Diana returned it, not bothering to extend her hand. He was very attractive, with long, red hair and bright emerald eyes; he looked vaguely familiar. She couldn't think how; he just did. _This will be interesting..._she thought, as she went with the family to the exit, _Very interesting..._

Their house was pleasantly tidy, and smelled, oddly, of roses. Her room was to be right next to Shuichi's, and she, being bored, wandered into his room after trying on her new school outfit. She had added some trinkets to it, to add some style. It was blood red, and complete with a knee skirt and long-sleeved blouse. She rather liked it, once she made some modifications.

"So, how do I look?" She asked eagerly, interrupting his reading. She twisted this way and that, so as to present all sides to him.

"Good. Your uniform fits well." He smiled his polite smile. Diana still couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen before. She voiced this in the form of a question,

"Have we ever met before, because I seem to think we have?" _Ugh, I must sound so stupid,_ she thought.

"No, I don't believe we have." he replied politely, like all his replies. Diana could have sworn that she saw the shadow of a smile on his face. She shrugged and walked off, her auburn hair swaying side to side. She shut herself up in her room, and a short figure appeared in Shuichi's room out of a puff of blue-grey smoke. He coughed a few times, muttered something about 'ogre fixing that', shut the door with a wave of his hand, and cleared his throat importantly.

"I believe you have an important mission, Kurama. This girl cannot know of our existence. She must see you as a distant person, always studying and whatnot. Do **not** get emotionally attached." This person wore a blue suit, accompanied by a pink sash. In his mouth, he sucked on a blue pacifier, and his hat was larger than his head.

"Yes, Koenma, sir, I know. I merely wish that she be given time to adjust to her surroundings, as she is not from around here. It would seem like we were trying to hide something from her, sir. I hear Americans have dreadfully short tempers, sir. My apologies if I am mistaken, sir." He bowed slightly, trying to hide a sly smile, and backed away, as if to give the toddler look-alike room to have a tantrum.

"No, you are right as usual, Kurama." Koenma said exasperatedly, while thinking, _how did he get so smart? I'm the spirit world ruler, but he's much wiser than me!_ He then continued, "Anyway, until this girl leaves, you will hold all Reikai Tentai meetings here. You will also report back to me every week on her progress. Got that?"

"Yes, sir. Is that all, sir, because I need to be in bed by ten. Its nine forty-five." Kurama replied, wondering what exactly having the meeting at his house would accomplish.

"Oh, I suppose it is. Well, good luck this year, especially with the girl. I must be leaving." And with that, he became enveloped in a haze of blue-grey smoke, accompanied by a cough. Kurama then yelled after him,

"Her name is Diana, sir..." As Koenma departed, he smiled to himself. _He is quite hopeless..._, he thought.


	3. The First Encounter

Yay! Another chapter! Anyhoo, thankies to my cherished reveiwers!

**Kuramalovergonecrazy**: You go ahead and think those thoughts...I'll be busy writing.

**Yume No Anime**: You know, I never thought about if she was an otaku or not...oh well. Anyway, Koenma's pacifier creates a barrier or something. I read that on a fan site :).

**Moon Archer**: Yeah, Kurama does bear a certain resemblance to a girl...But I'd NEVER admit it! I'll keep using cliffhangers until I feel like stopping! If you don't like it, then tell my man-eating weales! MUWHAHAHAHA!

ANYway...Yeah. So here's the disclaimer:

**Disclaimer**: I don't own YYH, or that cutie Hiei, or the extremely hot Kurama, or Crawling by Linkin Park, or M&M's. So there. Don't sue me!

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Three: The First Encounter

"Stupid skirt..." Diana mumbled to herself, as she stumbled out of the car. Her short hair swung into her face and she pushed it away, only to have it fall back again. A hand crossed her currently blocked vision.

"Want some help?" Shuichi asked, always the gentleman.

"No," Diana replied stubbornly, lifting herself from the ground. "I don't need a guy to help me get up. I am perfectly capable of that myself, thank you very much." She stared at him menacingly, as if daring him to challenge her.

He shrugged carelessly, and replied, "Okay."

He then walked over to a group of guys, one with slicked-back black hair, another with orange hair, both wearing uniforms, and another, but without a uniform. This one had spiky black hair, and his white bandana stood out against a black cloak. _He's kind of...cute_, Diana thought. He glanced over in her direction; she turned away and walked into the school building.

"So, what's with the chick? Your new girlfriend, Kurama?" The boy with greasy black hair teased.

"She's the exchange student, Yusuke. Koenma arranged it so that she stayed with me," Kurama replied, ignoring Yusuke's remark. A flock of pretty girls walked by, all of them staring at Kurama hopefully. The guy with the orange hair looked slightly dazed, and his eyes followed Diana's path.

"What's up with you, Kuwabara?" Yusuke said obnoxiously, "You haven't acted this weird since...Yukina" At the word 'Yukina', the spiky haired one tensed, his red eyes filled with hate. 

Then he spoke, in a harsh, arrogant voice, "Isn't it obvious? He likes her. Like all of his other attempts at love, this one will fail as well." As Kuwabara opened his mouth to reply, the bell rang. The guy with spiky hair stared to walk away. Yusuke spotted a girl with short brown hair up ahead, turned around, and called out to his retreating figure, "See you at the meeting, Hiei!" He then began to walk up toward the school, with the other two at his side.

"Crawling in my skin, these wounds, they will not heal..." Diana sung to herself, with a stunning voice, while trying to do her homework and munching on M&M's. She had a nasty essay due on Friday. _Man, Japanese schools are tough!_ she thought, _This sucks! I think I'll go bother Shuichi... _She giggled playfully as she strode toward Shuichi's door, putting her ear up to it and listening. Surprisingly, she heard voices. _Strange_, she thought, bewildered, _He didn't tell Shiori that friends were coming over...**Rule-breaker! **_She kicked the door open, and jumped, shocked at the sight before her.

Four boys were sitting in a circle, in the middle of the floor. They were the same boys that Shuichi had hung out with in the morning, including the spiky-haired one. They looked up at her, astonished. She had assumed an extremely immature karate-kick position, (she was sugar-high) and was thoroughly embarrassed. She was taller than most of them, especially the spiky-haired one. The orange-haired boy gazed at her, mesmerized by her short-but-cute auburn hair and emerald eyes, as well as the many freckles covering her face. The greasy-haired boy stared at her as well, but looked like he was suppressing a laugh with difficulty. The spiky-haired boy stared untrustingly at her with dangerous crimson eyes, and said telepathically to Kurama, _Who is she?! Why is she interrupting us?!_

Kurama replied coolly,_ Calm down, Hiei. She is the girl from this morning. The one Koenma wants us to watch. I suppose she was merely bored of being alone in her room. Typical American... _Kurama glanced at her and said, "What's wrong, Diana? Do you need help with something?"

"Ummm.....yeah. Well, first of all, err...ummm, why are all these people in here?!" She hurriedly got out of the mock karate stance and blushed furiously as she saw the spiky-haired boy give her a dirty look. Kurama noticed this, and gave Hiei a look to make him stop. He then stood and introduced his friends to her.

"This is Yusuke," He pointed out the boy with greasy black hair; he waved in acknowledgment, "He's Kuwabara", the weird orange-haired boy nodded, drooling a bit, still dazed by her beauty, "And this...this is Hiei." The boy with spiky hair glared daggers at her; she blushed so hard, her face must have looked like a tomato. _I must look soooo dumb right now..._ She thought, _Right in front of that really hot guy! What was his name....Oh, yeah! Hiei! What a cute name... _Hiei, who was reading her thoughts, fought hard to mask his surprise. She waltzed out of the room, muttering apologetically. As soon as she had left and the door was closed, she banged her head against the wall, punishing herself for acting so stupidly. The sound was heard through the wall, and drifted into Kurama's room, where Yusuke was doubling up with laughter.

"What the hell was _that_ about!? What a _loser_!!!!!" He commented, after his fits of laughter had subsided.

"I believe _that,_ Yusuke, was the American girl. I have reason to believe that she was sugar-high..." Kurama said, being more rude than usual. It was as if he needed to find a reason to pick on her, however rude it was. While he and Yusuke joked about her, Kuwabara daydreamed in a corner, and Hiei was deep in thought. _Why did she call me CUTE!? I should be MENACING!!!! NOT CUTE!!!!!! Oh, well. She's just a stupid ningen, an American, no less...Still, I can't help but wonder...She was kind of attractive...for a ningen..._He then stood abruptly, flung open the window with a flick of his wrist, and jumped out, all within three seconds.

"Wait! Hiei! The meeting! Aww, screw it. He's gone. So, how about those Greek goddesses, huh? You know, the ones from history class? Are they _hot _or what! If I saw one of them, I'd ask her out!" Yusuke took a brave stab at communication, but only earned weird looks. However, Greek divinity was closer than he thought.

The next morning, Kurama went to hang out with his friends before the bell, as usual. When Diana caught sight of Hiei, she blushed, and she could've sworn that she saw a smile upon his distant face. When Kurama caught sight of Hiei's smile, and saw Diana's blush, he shot a dirty look in Hiei's direction, his eyes even more green than usual. Hiei responded with indifference, and continued talking to the other two boys, who were clueless to the situation. Kurama wondered vaguely why he even cared about Diana liking Hiei, as it was so obvious. Hiei wondered vaguely why he was beginning to like her; after all, she was only a human. Yusuke wondered vaguely what was happening with Kurama and Hiei, and Kuwabara, he just wondered vaguely.

A/N: I'm sorry if they act slightly OOC. I tried. In case you hadn't noticed, I don't like Kuwabaka or Yusuke too much. They only play a minor role in this story. Please R and R! Mucho Thankies!


	4. Thoughts, Looks, and Dreams

Hi people! Here's another update! Mucho Thankies to my very few reveiwers!

**Kuramalovergonecrazy**: Glad you like the OCCness! I personally think it sucks....Oh well! I'm pessimistic, so ignore me! LOL! Love rectangle! Interesting idea, though...I'll think about it... Oh, yeah! Thank you so much for being one of my oh-so-faithful reveiwers, the other being Moon Archer. It makes me feel special when I get reviews! :)

**Moon Archer**: Yes, hyper. Sugar good! ;) I like that line as well. Kuwabaka is so stupid. And don't worry, I won't stop you from reviewing, God forbid! ::Mock Horror:: ANYway, (that _is _fun to type) thanks so much for reviewing my story! I'll keep up the writing if you keep reviewing!

Please, please review! I appreciate it more than I could say(and that's saying something.)

**Disclaimer**(almost forgot it...oops :)): I do NOT own Yu Yu Hakusho. If I did, Kurama would be MINE and MINE alone! MUWHAHAHA! Ahem..ANYway...yeah.

Here goes! Enjoy!

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Four: Looks, Thoughts, and Dreams

As the months passed, Diana progressed wonderfully. She learned most of the Japanese customs, although the hyper-active American inside of her did manage to show itself once in a while (like when she got stuck up a tree, "It looked interesting!" said Diana indignantly. "Uh-huh..." replied Shuichi, masking his scowl as he rescued her.) And she made sure to stay away from M&M's. She got to know Shuichi very well, but she saw him as a brother; she could mess with him, but never flirt with him ("Of course not!" said Diana, in mock horror, to Shuichi's blush.) She still wasn't sure about his feelings; however, being her (slightly) carefree self, she didn't care. Hiei, on the other hand, was open game.

Unfortunately, she didn't have enough courage to talk to the anti-gravity-haired shorty. She made it a habit to "accidentally" walk in on the team's meeting, although she just thought the boys were hanging out. Every morning she and Hiei would look at each other; Hiei would smirk playfully and she would look away, and then turn casually back toward him, and give him an odd look, as if to say 'I know you're looking at me, now LOOK AWAY!' (even though she was the one staring at him.) She became close friends with a docile girl named Yukina, who had icy blue hair, and crimson eyes, and was only present half of the time; she also got to know Keiko, a girl with short brown hair, a shade darker than Diana's, and hazel eyes. She was a strong, smart, and proud girl, who was, oddly enough, dating Yusuke. Diana questioned this relationship one day.

"Keiko, do honestly love Yusuke?" She had said, her emerald eyes twinkling evilly.

Keiko sensed her evil intentions and replied, anger mounting, "Why? What are you up to? If this is about him ditching me then-"

"N-no. Nothing like that." Diana said hastily, cutting Keiko off; she had a reputation was slapping those who displeased her, and unintentionally giving them concussions. She continued, truly curious. "But, I mean, how does he show his love? He doesn't seem the type-" Now it was her turn to be cut off.

"In ways you'll never know..." Keiko answered mysteriously, her hazel eyes becoming misty with unseen memories of Yusuke's love. Diana shrugged and hoped Yukina would change the subject. She did, but not to Diana's liking.

"What about you and Hiei?" Yukina inquired, deceivingly innocent. "Don't think we haven't noticed anything" She added threatingly, her crimson eyes flashing, suspiciously like Hiei's. Diana opened her mouth to defend herself, but decided to tell the truth.

"Okay, fine. I give in. I like Hiei. Ever since I first saw him, I've liked him." Diana sighed with resignation.

Yukina looked wonderfully happy and said excitedly, "You have got to talk to him!!!! He's going to be here after school, I know it!!!! Meet me at the gates after the last bell." Just as Diana was about to protest, the bell rang. Yukina yelled her goodbye and ran off to class hurriedly. Diana said goodbye to Keiko and headed off to her own classroom

(Later that day)

Diana sat on the roof of the house, thinking about things. She thought about the past few days. She thought about Yukina's question, Shuichi's feelings, and Hiei's looks. She also thought about how she had ditched Hiei that day, and how disappointed Yukina would be in her. _What do they mean by it? What the hell do they want from me?! I'm only human..._ She thought anxiously. She had no idea how wrong she was.

She thought about many other things that night, but Hiei resurfaced often. She stared up at the moon with dreamy eyes. Its silvery light, clear on this cloudless night, comforted her. Her dream the previous night was as clear in her mind as the moon tonight.

_It had started innocently enough. Diana's dream self had been jogging on a dusty road, in-between an area of forest. She accidentally kicked dirt into her eyes with odd Greek Moccasins and stopped briefly to rub it out. As she was lifting a gloved hand toward her eyes, she spotted a deer. It had ragged ears, and was covered in brown fur, spotted with black. Diana looked at it curiously and smiled, ignoring her wonderings about the gloves. It smiled an oddly human smile, its emerald eyes shining, and then ran off. Wait, she had thought, Deer don't have emerald eyes....She resumed her jogging, increasing her speed to a run until she had caught up to it, but it wasn't a deer anymore. She was so shocked that she ran into a tree, which, upon impact, sprinkled many leaves into her messy brown hair. _

_The deer had turned into a woman. This woman wore a Greek hunting outfit, complete with weaponry. She looked over Diana briefly and nodded approvingly. Diana glanced down at her outfit for the first time, and saw that it was identical to the tall stranger's. Diana and the stranger stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity; both of them noticed uncanny similarities. The stranger had freckles; Diana had freckles, the stranger had light brown hair; Diana had reddish-brown hair (called auburn); the stranger was tall; Diana was tall. Diana was shocked to find this out, but the stranger just smiled genially. Then, the sound of hooves rang out in the distance. Diana's emerald eyes widened with apprehension, as well as fear, while the stranger's turquoise eyes remained calm and kind._

A/N: Sorry if Diana seems a tad...naive. I tried to make her as normal as possible but...Oh well. She's wierd like that. Rather like me, actually ;) Please read and review! Thanks to my beta-reader, Moon Archer, who had a limitied part in this chapter, thanks to SOMEONE! ::Grumbles incoherently about stupid pervs named Molly::


	5. Greek encounters, Gothic stalkers, and A...

Hola people! Thank so much to my reviewers!

**jaderabbit**:Thanks for the tip. I hate sandals, though, so for the purposes of my story, the Greek footwear is moccasins. I glad that you like my story!

**Crazy4YuYuHakusho**: Thank you for your review.

**Jessie Haughton**: Thank you. I appreciate the compliment.

**Moon Archer**: Stupid lazy beta reader.....Just kidding! I appreciate the advice. Like you already know, I update when I can. By the way, Your new chapter of The Tale of Tom is good!

**KuramaLoverGoneCrazy**: I always love your reviews! Yes, I torture Kurama. Well, it'll be resolved in the end. Good or bad, you'll have to decide.

**Cartoon-Protecter**: Thanks for your review! Your new chapter was good!

**sapphire66**: Thank you for your review!

Damn, that's a lot of reviews! Well, can't forget the disclaimer...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own nothing ::dad's voice in background:Anything, not nothing!:: Yes, father. I don't own ANYthing. Except the plot and Diana. I _so _wish I owned Kurama. Although, I'd settle for Hiei. I'd give him to Moon Archer...

Enjoy!

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Five: Greek encounters, Gothic stalkers, and American tempers

_A beautifully carved chariot flew high above the trees, so that Diana and the stranger could see it clearly. It was pulled by two equally beautiful white stallions, which had fire in place of manes. The driver was thrown in shadow, so that he couldn't be seen. As he descended, he was bathed in light, allowing him to be seen. He had light brown hair, which was extremely windswept, and turquoise eyes, identical to the stranger's. He also had freckles, like the other two. He wore a traditional Greek tunic, as well as Greek moccasins. _

_He smiled at Diana, turned to look at the stranger, and said, in a deep, masculine voice, "Well, does she know?" He seemed to be impatient for something. _

_The stranger replied, in a beautiful voice,"No. I...haven't gotten around to that." She tried to look guilty, but failed miserably. The other stranger had an incredibly short temper._

_"ARTEMIS!!!!! DO YOU LIKE TO PISS ME OFF????? I HAD TO REVERT TO A GOD JUST TO HEAR THAT SHE DOESN'T KNOW!!!!ZEUS SAID TO TELL HER!!! GO ON, TELL HER!!!!!!!!!" His eyes looked as if they had flames in them, and, for all Diana knew, they might've. He looked thoroughly exasperated; this was clearly an old issue. Diana had the courage to speak up._

_"Ummm, excuse me? But, I mean ...If there is anything I can help with, I will, help, I mean." _There I go again,_ she thought,_ WHY do I do that!? _The other two giggled. It was as if they could hear her thoughts..._Oh SHIT! _She thought_ They might know about Hiei!

_"Well, we know now. Yes, we can read your thoughts, but we don't pry. We prefer that you have your secrets, as we as ours." Said the one called Artemis. The other person started to poke her, and she added, "Calm down, Apollo. I'm getting to it." Diana was thoroughly confused. Who exactly _were_ these people? What did they have to say to her?_ Well,_ she thought,_ I guess I'll find out...

_Artemis straightened up; she made sure she looked absolutely perfect, and said, "Hello, Diana. Yes, I know your name. My name is Artemis, Goddess of the woodland and the hunt, as well as protector of youth. This is my twin brother, Apollo, God of the Sun. He used to make the sunrise and sunset. I also oversee the Moon. Our friends Helios and Selene don't mind sharing their planets with us. There was this one time, oh this is funny-" Her babbling was cut off by Apollo, who cleared his throat. Diana giggled. Artemis regained her poise and continued, "Anyway, Apollo and I are former Gods, but we died out. Only one true god rules the universe; we are just in the background. Anyway, we each have a reincarnation, and they must know who they are before they turn fifteen, or else..." Her eyes fogged up and a teardrop began to form on her cheek. Apollo signaled for her to continue._

_"I know, I know, sorry 'bout that..." she cleared her throat and continued, looking slightly disheveled, "Or else the host will lose the power which they hold within. Not only that, but what remains of the Greek spirit will die, and evaporate into nothingness. It happened to my good friend Athena, as well as Vesta, Selene, and Hermes. Aphrodite was heartbroken." She allowed a single tear to fall the length of her cheek, then stood up and, shaking off her weakness, shot a sharp glare at Diana's dream self. Her turquoise eyes pierced Diana's skin, and a sudden burst of wind billowed around her hair, making her seem very formidable. _

_She reclaimed her confident manner and said sharply to Apollo, "C'mon. Zeus will be waiting." He got up cautiously, as if afraid to disobey her, and readied his chariot for departure. _

_Artemis turned to Diana and said, still rather angry, "I don't want to disappear into oblivion, Diana. Unfortunately, I have no control over that. You must figure out my fate, as well as your own. You see, another, rather important, rule is that the reincarnation must figure out who they are on their own."_

_"But...Wha...How does that affect me?!" Diana ruffled her hair in confusion, forcing some leaves out. Artemis smiled mockingly as she climbed into Apollo's chariot._

_"Bit slow, aren't you? Figure it out, Diana. Let's just say that you have a little less than a month until the deadline passes. 'Till then, good luck." Then she and Apollo had flown through the starry skies, heading toward the Moon. _

She brought herself out of her stupor and thought dazedly_, Wow, I'm really out of it tonight_. _I hope Kuwabaka, I mean, Kuwabara, isn't rubbing off on me..._She ruffled her hair distractedly. A few leaves fell out, but she didn't notice.

A small chuckle escaped from a nearby tree. Diana jumped, and glanced to the right of the roof, into the tree, and saw a pair of red eyes. She flinched, startled by their sudden appearance. She looked away, and when she looked back, they were gone. Was her imagination, or were those Hiei's eyes? She crawled closer to the tree, and noticed a scrap of worn black fabric, apparently torn off of something, like a long black cloak. She supected a certain gothic, spikey-haired boy, and smilied to herself as she descended down the ladder to her room.

The next morning, she carried the fabric in her pocket, and pulled it out ever-so-slowly, so that Hiei had a clear view of it. She saw him blush slightly, and noticed a small tear in his cloak. She smiled to herself, thinking, _So what if he's a stalker, at least he knows I exist... _

Diana tried hard not to fall asleep in her class, unsuccessfully. Keiko nudged her roughly, holding back laughter.

"I'd appreciate it if you stayed awake in my class, Ms. Taylor." The teacher surveyed her tired face with dislike and added, "You might want to get to bed a tad earlier." Diana blushed slightly at the class' laughter, and glanced meaningfully at Shuichi, who smiled encouragingly. She paid close attention for the rest of the class, almost as well as Shuichi. She opened her mythology book to the designated page, and suppressed a gasp with difficulty. Right in the middle of the page was an unmistakable picture of herself.

"WHAT!?" Shouted Keiko and Yukina in unison, attracting to attention of almost everyone in the lunchroom.

"Shut up! You're making people stare." In truth, Diana didn't care if _people _stared; she didn't want a certain person staring. "I'm surprised as well. I mean, who really expects to see their pictures in history books? Besides their parents, of course." she joked, trying to poke fun at her dilemma. Keiko opened her mouth to speak, but Diana cut her off, becoming more serious.

"It's like I knew something like this was going to happen all along, but at the same time, I didn't know about it at all. Does that make any sense at all?"

"No, but have you told anyone yet?" Yukina said worriedly. Diana gave her a skeptical look.

"Tell them what? That I saw a picture of a Greek Goddess, but it was me instead? Hell, no! I'll sound like a frickin' psycho!" _Like there's anyone to tell...._she thought regretfully. Yukina, a telepath, smiled in sympathy. Diana noticed and, being in a bad mood, snapped at her.

"What are you smiling at?" Yukina hid her smile hurriedly and Keiko took up the conversation.

"You should really tell him. Kurama, I mean. He could use the information. Or you could tell Yukina's brother." She said decisively, as if she was in charge of Diana's decision. Yukina gave Keiko a meaningful-yet-questioning look, as she clapped her hand over her mouth, looking appalled. Diana, being an independent American, was mad at this view. She liked her independence; why should she let this snobby Japanese girl take it?

"Number one, who the hell is 'Kurama', number two, what fucking information, number three, why didn't you tell me about your brother," she glared at Yukina, who gave Keiko a confused look, shifting nervously in her seat, and continued, "and number three, I can make my own decisions, so don't be a total bitch and try to make them for me!" Her voice rose on the last one, as well as her temper. Yukina and Keiko looked shocked at her language, and were momentarily frozen because of it.

Yukina shook it off first and said meekly, "You said number three twice."

Diana, already pissed off, got angrier and started outright yelling.

"Who gives a shit?!" She paused for a moment, letting herself cool off. By now, everyone was staring at the temperamental American student. She thought about how unfair this whole thing was and continued, angry once more. "Fine! Fine, keep your fucking secrets! Screw you! Your friendship isn't worth shit! Friends don't keep secrets from friends! Enjoy your life! I'm out!" With that she grabbed her lunch tray and her backpack and walked away angrily, stopping shortly to throw away her uneaten lunch. She slammed the door behind her, leaving two very stunned girls in her wake.

**A/N**: I know I was going to say something.....Oh well. I already have this story completed, and it's fourteen-sixteen chapters long. So you know. Anyway, as long as my faithful reviewers stay with me, I'll keep posting. Wow, Diana's got a temper. Maybe she's PMSing....Too much information? Anyway, this is turning out to be interesting, don't 'cha think? As always, please read and reveiw! Also, if you would be so kind as to review my other stuff, I would appreciate it.


	6. Friends, Ponderings, and Temptation

Hiya, peeps! Welcome to chapter six! It's been three weeks! I'm sorry! My lazy beta-reader has finally come in handy (She says 'hey'). Yeah, so, mucho thankies to my reviewers!

I wrote replies to all of my reveiwers, but the stupid computer hates me! So, thank you all. Thank you especially to Moon Archer, who gave me the brillant idea of a title.

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Six: Friends, Ponderings, and Temptations

Diana sat on her bed, listening to a rebellious Trapt song, thinking about her so-called friends. _How could they? I wonder how many other secrets they kept from me_. Even as she thought about it, she felt her temper rising. She got up from her bed and noticed a small red spot where her bottom had previously been. _Well, that explains a lot..._she thought, slightly amused but still angry. She covered it up with a paper towel and picked up a stress ball from her desk. She squeezed it has hard as she could; it slipped from her grasp and hit her in the face. She heard chuckles coming from the door and glanced up angrily. She saw Shuichi in her doorway, smiling kindly.

"May I have the pleasure of entering your sacred room?" She was annoyed by his polite-yet-sarcastic disposition, and considered ignoring him, but answered anyway.

"Fine." She stared out her window, deciding on the ignoring option as she turned up her music with a small remote. He was forcibly reminded of Hiei, in that she was trying to block out those who could help her.

She struggled to hide sudden unexplained tears brought on by his appearance and said rudely, practically yelling as her music was so loud, "What do you want? A new pencil? Or is it a book today?" She didn't care is she was being a total bitch; it was that time of the month.

Shuichi, however, overlooked her rudeness and said, polite as ever, quietly yet still being heard over the noise (It was too disturbing to be called music); "Will you allow me to help one as beautiful as you?" She glanced at him skeptically upon hearing the word beautiful. She expected a mocking smile, but was surprised. His face was shining with sympathy, the very thing that she didn't want.

She replied, looking toward the clear sky once more, "No. Now get lost in a book or something." He began to walk out, looking dejected. She instantly regretted her words. _Stupid temper!_

She got up from her window and shouted after him, "Wait! I didn't mean that!" He turned back around, his handsome green eyes interested. She hesitated; did guys really want to know about that time? _Maybe Yusuke, but not Shuichi._ "I-I had a bad day. I tend to be temperamental. Sorry." She knew that she must look really pathetic, as well as her excuse, but didn't care, for once. She smiled at him apologetically. He returned the smile and sat down on her unmade bed (She tried to ignore his inquiring looks at the now-reddish paper towel).

"Why was it so bad?" He asked curiously. She had originally planned to push him away, to not tell him anything. After all, how did she know if she could trust him? Surprisingly, she found that he was very comforting to her worries, and she was suddenly confiding in him; she told him her worst fears and highest aspirations. She told him secrets that she had never even considered telling Keiko and Yukina, without fear or hesitation. He never mocked her, as she would've, but listened interestedly. Her CD stopped, but she didn't bother to change it, as she was so absorbed in the (one-sided) conversation. She finally told him the odd dreams, at least the ones she remembered. He looked surprised, but hid his true emotion: overwhelming fear.

"It's as if...As if I'm destined for something more, y'know? It's so confusing, yet it all makes sense in some sick, twisted way. It's just so.....weird. Y'know what I'm talking about?" She looked at him expectantly, as if he could decipher the mystery of her mind.

He gazed into her eyes and whispered a faint word, "Yes."

They stared into each other's identical emerald eyes for what seemed like an eternity. He leaned closer to her, and she felt compelled to do the same. They leaned closer and closer until every feature was visible to the other. Shuichi silently counted Diana's freckles: twenty-two in all. Diana, however, was spellbound by some secret pheromone, moving closer every second. She reached out and gently touched his bright red hair, unable to contain her curiosity. He would've blushed, had he not already been in an embarrassing situation. They moved even closer.

"You smell like roses," Diana quietly commented, but Shuichi silenced her by pressing his lips against hers. She kissed back shyly; this was clearly a first for her. A bush rustled outside, startling both of them and breaking the romantic air. They immediately separated, blushing furiously.

"Wow, what timing. Eh, Shuichi?" She smiled in his direction, trying to be nonchalant, but his response was very serious.

He stood up and spoke to her. "My name is Kurama. I'm sorry I startled you." He walked out of the room and called out behind him, "Goodnight, Diana." Diana stared after him, bewildered, but happily so. She got up and went outside via her window, feeling the need for fresh air. A pair of crimson eyes in the bushes followed her, unnoticed in her ecstasy.

A/N: Hola vosotros!(Spanish) Interesting, no? Kurama is so stupid, though. ::Sigh:: Poor Diana. All will be revealed next chapter.....


	7. The Crimson Jealousy

Hi, hi!!!!!!!!! I know you miss me sooo much, so I've decided to update! I also have a new system of reveiwer responses.

**Sapphire66 and Crazy4YuYuHakusho**: Thank you for your reveiws.

**Moon Archer**: No problemo! I still didn't like my scene, but I'm also paranoid.

**Kuramalovergonecrazy**: Yes, Kurama _is_ stupid! Why? Because I say so! BTW, Kurama belongs to ME not YOU! But I am willing to share custody...

**HarmonyHanyou**: ::Rubs chin thoughtfully:: Who can tell?

**Crimson314:** I think a mary sue is a sickeningly perfect character. As for my pairings, you'll have to read. MUWHAHAHAHA

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho! Get that through your stupid heads!

Welcome to chapter seven!

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Seven: The Crimson Jealousy

"_I'm trying, to forget that, I'm a-dic-ted to you...._" Diana sung to herself quietly as she moved her head rhythmically to the music blaring from her silver headphones. She felt a tapping sensation and looked up from the magazine that she was reading, entitled "Beckett Dragonballz," and gave the red-headed teen sitting beside her a skeptical look. "I know I'm cute, but could you please not poke me obsessively?" she said sarcastically. A small blush rose on Kurama's pale complexion as she laughed.

"No, it's not that. It's just, we've arrived and I believe my mother is getting a tad impatient." This time it was Diana's turn to blush. Shiori stared at the two teens with contentment, thinking, _They're so cute..._

"Sorry, Shiori. I kinda zoned-out for a sec. Simple Plan, you know?" The dark-haired women smiled kindly, clearly not understanding at all. Kurama gave a shadow of a smile as he and Diana got out of his mother's shiny red Ford Explorer. _Mom doesn't understand. Come to think of it, neither do I, _He thought to himself, scratching his red hair, bewildered.

Diana turned her skinny frame around to look confusedly at the teenaged demon. "Hurry it up, dude. You don't wanna be late, do you?" He blinked, disoriented for a second, and jogged next to her, his red shoulder bag beating against his side. "Jeez, Kurama. You're sure out of it. Are you still thinking about...that?" He nodded slowly and she laughed. "Don't worry, if was my first, too." He smiled, with a hint of blush. _She doesn't know of my past..._He thought gratefully. She smiled, misunderstanding his blush. "Damn, you blush too much."

She looked around for a second and saw Yusuke, Kuwabara, and a very jealous Hiei walking toward them. "See ya, Kurama. Same time, same place?" She winked perversely; Hiei's jealous glare grew into a look of downright hatred. Kurama's small blush grew until his face closely resembled a tomato, much to the other boys' confusion. "Just kidding! Gosh, talk about too sensitive..." she mumbled to herself as she walked her usual way to the front doors, unaware of what she had just done.

Hiei advanced toward Kurama's still blushing figure, anger and jealously radiating from his short body. "You fuckin' traitor! You go and make out with that bitch and then you tell her our secrets! What makes you think we'll let you go unpunished for that!?" Kurama bristled angrily; what gave him the right to insult her?

"Hiei, must you be so blunt? We merely kissed; nothing else. If your obvious jealously blinds you to the truth, then be it on your own head. And she is _not_ a, as you so delicately put it, 'bitch.'" He turned to the two humans, ignoring Hiei's fuming figure. "Forgive me, boys. I must depart for now. You undoubtedly do not understand, but it will be revealed accordingly. To summarize, Hiei is a jealous bastard and Diana is an enchanting girl. Nothing more and nothing less. Good day." With a quick bow, he departed, leaving an angry Hiei in his wake.

* * *

Diana stared at her reflection in the mirror of the girls' bathroom, tweaking her light makeup. _I wonder...Does Kurama like girls who wear makeup?_ She heard the loud creak of the bathroom door as she finished and turned abruptly, only to see Keiko and Yukina enter, walking briskly, as if to avoid her gaze. "What, are you too good to look at me? It's because I'm American, isn't it!?" she demanded of the two timid girls, temper getting the best of her. 

"No, it's because you are a bad influence. Look at what you've done to Hiei and Shuichi!" Keiko retorted coldly, anger radiating from her hazel eyes. Yukina looked mortified at the brunette's statement.

"No, she didn't mean that! I'm sure it's not your fault! I-We-I'm sorry!" The blue-haired girl apologized profusely, bowing formally. Keiko smacked herself in frustration, leaving a red handprint.

"Idiot! You just ruined my spiteful remark!" She glared fiercely at Yukina, who looked down in immediate shame.

"She's not the idiot, Keiko, you are. You just threw away, like, _the_ best friendship in the entire world! C'mon, Yukina, let's go," Diana snapped angrily, her green eyes glowing vengefully. She generously held the door open for Yukina, who jogged out hurriedly, muttering apologetically. "I'll meet 'cha later, Yukina!"

She then turned to Keiko, intending to fully get her revenge. "You know what, Keiko? I'm so entirely sick of you that it's not even funny. I don't know what's going on with Hiei and Shuichi, but frankly, I don't give a fuck! I honestly don't understand how Yusuke puts up with you. You are a controlling bitch who doesn't know when to leave me the fuck alone! In case you haven't noticed, I _like_ my freedom, and I don't need you to tell me what to do. Ironically, your stupid advice came in handy. I did tell someone my problems, and they were a very consoling council. On the plus side, Kurama is a damn good kisser." Diana walked away, hair swishing. She glimpsed Keiko's shocked expression with a fierce contentment and added, looking at the still-red handprint, "By the way, you might want some cover-up or something." _Ah, the power of spite..._She thought, relishing in Keiko's mortified face; she didn't carry make-up.

* * *

Later that day, as Diana lay on her slightly stained bedspread, listening to Simple Plan and trying to sleep, she heard someone knock on the door. "Come in," she said, not caring who it was. She heard Kurama's voice respond. 

"Diana, what are you doing?" She opened one eye to look at the green-eyed boy, still clad in his red school outfit, his hair blending with the fabric. _Wow, he **is** cute..._She thought to herself as she noticed the slight outline of muscles on his loose red sleeve. He blushed and Diana realized, also with a blush, that she had been checking him out. _Oh, shit..._She thought, looking away quickly.

"Trying to put off homework," sounded the American's answer, slightly higher pitched than normal.

"Ah, I see. Well, I believe we have something to talk about," he responded seriously. Diana sat up straight against her light green wall and made direct eye contact with Kurama, her concentration waning as she felt an intense desire to get up and kiss him.

"What?" she said impatiently, trying to deny her feelings. She drummed her fingers impatiently against her polished brown nightstand, awaiting his answer. He gulped from nervousness, threatening to crumble under her stare.

"Well, you see, I....We...." He gulped once more and his throat was oddly dry. Diana stared at him expectantly and he continued. "I....Wanted to say hi!" He finished, and ran out of her room hurriedly. Diana heard his door slam shut and smiled to herself. _Stupid boy......._

_

* * *

_

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Hiei cursed loudly in his tree as the sun ascended the horizon rapidly. He stared intently at some random leaves and they spontaneously combusted, their charred remains falling to the ground, which was already covered in ash. He looked around the branches nearest him, searching for something to vent his frustration on. He had already burnt most of the leaves, what next? The bark? _No, too rough..._he thought bitterly, pondering his limited options.

He had a sudden idea and disappeared, reappearing next to Diana's bedroom window. He watched through jealous crimson eyes as she slept peacefully, her radio still playing, its display reading "5:00 Am." The short demon was inside her room in an instant and turned off the radio, as it was bugging him. She stirred and he froze, afraid of being discovered. She then seemed to shrug and fall back into a deep sleep, much to Hiei's relief. He watched her as she breathed deeply, her chest going up and down rhythmically inside of her white bedspread. He walked closer to her still-sleeping figure and looked down at her calm, pale face, freckles shining in the early sunlight. He suddenly felt an urge to lean closer, and could not have resisted if he had wanted to.

Just as his lips were about to touch hers, he heard a door creak and a bright light flooded the dim hallway. He caught a glimpse of Kurama's shadow as he disappeared rapidly, standing just outside of her window, unable, it seemed, to leave.

The pajama-clad, red-haired teenager ventured into Diana's room and noticed that her radio was off. Hiei mentally scolded himself for his carelessness as he heard Kurama's near-silent cursing, directed at him. It just then occurred to him how messed-up the situation was: Kurama, Hiei's one and only friend, was cursing him profusely and he, Hiei, was acting in such a way that even Yoko would've been ashamed (and that's saying something.) All because of Diana. One human girl, one worthless human girl, had caused this entire catastrophe. _There is one option..._Hiei thought, eyes glowing maniacally, still leaning against the outer wall. _Murder!_

A/N: That was long! Well, I guess it's better than short... ANYway, I hope you enjoyed it! A little cliff-hanger at the end....


	8. The Emerald Torment

Hi hi! Thank you to all my reviewers!

**Jaderabbit:** Yeah, I guess demons have hormones too...

**Sapphire66**: I would hate to be that tempermental...Nothing to say but read!

**KuramaLoverGoneCrazy**: He's MINE! How many times do I have to tell you? ANYway, my property aside, this chapter is a heck of a lot more dramatic than last. Enjoy!

**Demonphonix**:You're right, I'm cliff-hanger obsessed. I love to keep the interest of the readers. If you eat me, I'll haunt you in the afterlife. Unless I stalk Kurama instead...

**Crimson314**:Thank you for your review!

**Moon Archer**: It's no problem. I got kinda scared for a second, but it's all good. All six reveiwers present!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything, aside from the plot and Diana.

BTW, Kurama is a sophomore. Diana, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Yukina, and Keiko are freshmen. Hiei....he's a demon! On to chapter eight!

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Eight: The Emerald Torment

"Why!?!" An angry voice rang through the early morning air. A black, dragon-like flame rose from a charred tree in the depths of a forest, silhouetted against the rosy dawn. Hiei, clad in a black sleeveless shirt, joined to black pants via two white belts, paced a clearing deep in 'his' forest, ruffling his spiky black hair in a frustrated manner. He sat on a nearby charred log, burning every living thing within his reach. He watched as the tiny insects writhed in pain, a look of bitter satisfaction on his face. _I suppose I'll be easier on Diana..._he began to think to himself. Suddenly, a voice in his head answered him.

_Why be easier? Look at what she's done!_

_What has she done, though? It's not Kurama's fault that he's fallen head over heels... _Hiei felt a stab of something which he vaguely identified as jealously somewhere in the region of his chest.

_Just look at you, Hiei. That worthless ningen has made you a jealous fool!_ The voice in Hiei's head argued once again.

_I'm not jealous! I-I-I...._Hiei tried unsuccessfully to explain himself.

_You are. Kurama was right. You are jealous, and it scares you. Why keep this feeling? Why not just take away the source?_ His head reasoned once more, sounding increasingly more rational than Hiei himself.

_But...The source...That's....Diana....._

_Yes, it is. Just do away with it._

_But I can't! She....I'll get in trouble!_ Hiei tried frantically to make up an excuse for his weakness, although he knew the real reason.

_You never cared before. Why do you care now? Are you becoming weak? _An image of Kuwabara, draped in Hiei's black cloak, wielding a black dragon-shaped spirit sword, arose in Hiei's mind. He panicked and immediately pushed it away.

_No! I will not be weak! I must... _"She has to die!" He said out loud, a black aura surrounding him as he did so. He immediately bounded deeper into the forest, preparing to plan out his dark deed.

* * *

"_...Now that I've seen you, I can never look away_," Kurama sung to himself quietly, moving his head ever-so-slightly to the music in his head. A voice interrupted him. 

"Are you even listening?" Yusuke asked, giving Kurama a skeptical look. The fox demon smiled.

"Nope." With that he returned to his humming. "_...Now that I know you, I could never turn my back away_," Yusuke looked at the normally attentive boy with disbelief.

"Kurama, do you want some advice?" The brown-haired boy said, beginning to turn his back as he spotted Keiko walking home.

"Not really," Kurama replied, still humming to himself. Yusuke acted like he didn't hear the response.

"Stay away from Diana." At this, Kurama snapped to attention, so abruptly that Yusuke stepped back a little, as if to protect himself. Kurama glared at him.

"Why? What's wrong with her?" he said, failing to keep the anger out of his voice.

"What's wrong with her? It's not her, it's you!" Yusuke said frantically, turning back around.

Kurama bristled indignantly. "Me?! What did I ever do, Yusuke?"

"Nothing! You haven't done anything since last week! Not even train! She's killing you!" he responded angrily, holding up his fists as if getting prepared to fight. Kurama ignored the unspoken threat.

"Well, Yusuke, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I think you should disregard any poison Hiei is feeding you," Kurama replied coldly, grabbing his red shoulder bag as he spotted a girl's skipping silhouette in the school's entrance. Yusuke followed his gaze and sighed exasperatedly.

"I thought you were the smart one, Kurama. In case you haven't noticed, Hiei hasn't been around since last week! You and Diana chased him away!" By now, he was raising his voice, attracting attention to himself as he abandoned all attempts to keep his temper in check. Kurama glared at him once more, his eyes livid with hatred.

"Neither Diana nor I chased Hiei away. His jealously alienated him," Kurama responded intelligently. Just as Yusuke opened his mouth to respond, Diana skipped up to them, moving her head to music coming from her headphones, her black shoulder bag banging against her side.

"What's up, homie G-doggies?" she said jokingly, smiling her goofy smile, oblivious to the hostile air. Yusuke glared at her as Kurama smiled. The confused girl looked from one boy to the other, and then shrugged, still listening to her music. She spotted a red Explorer pull up and grabbed Kurama by his red shirt collar. "C'mon, we gotta go!" Yusuke glared at the two; Diana flipped him off as she stuck her tongue out at Keiko, now beside Yusuke. The spirit detective watched as the two walked (although Diana skipped) to Shiori's car, instantly engaged in a talk about American alternative rock. He snorted derisively as he walked away, Keiko by his side.

* * *

"...and I was all, 'are you asking me out?' Then he said, 'so what if I am?' He even fuckin' winked! I was all thinking, hell no! He's just so weird! I mean, he-" Diana stopped herself suddenly, seeing Kurama's cold gaze. "What's up with you?" 

"What was his name?" The sophomore asked seriously; Diana was flooded with disbelief.

"Why does it matter? It's not like you're going to beat the crap out of him or anything..." Kurama didn't respond, gazing seriously out Diana's window. "Geez, it's not that big of a deal! Anyway, if it was, I'd just take care of him myself." Kurama laughed quietly, and then put a hand over his mouth as he realized what he had done. "Yeah, you better be scared! What, because I'm a girl I can't fight? Wanna try me? Huh, punk?" she said challengingly. Kurama shrugged, trying desperately to drop the subject.

Diana, however, was angrier by the minute, and her temper was a dangerous thing. "You know what, you're pissing me off! You don't always have to be so damn protective! It's like, if I even look at someone funny, you're all jealous and shit! What the crap!"

She got up from her bed abruptly and continued ranting angrily to Kurama's sitting figure. "Just get out! I never get any homework done anyway! I don't even know why you want to 'help' me, when all you do is distract me! I mean, really! Use your fuckin' common sense!" Kurama nodded meekly and stood up, grabbing his unfinished schoolwork from Diana's unmade bed and began to leave.

She glared after him, and yelled, throwing a pencil toward his turned back, "Yeah, that's right! Run away! Flee from my mighty American wrath!" Kurama had had it; he felt his temper begin to rise.

Without thinking, he reached into his long, red hair and pulled out a throne-covered rose, much to Diana's bewilderment. He turned around, an angry fire in his eyes, and held the rose in his palm, infusing it with spirit energy. Diana's eyes widened and she backed as far away from him as possible, huddled with her knees against her chest, pressed against her closed window.

"You...Hair...Rose...What the fuck?!" She stammered, fear and confusion in her voice. Kurama closed his palm tightly, and, still running off of instinct, flung his hand through the air gracefully; his rose grew into a large lethal whip. He stared at Diana's cowering figure and smirked, making him seem angrier than ever.

"Well, Diana, where's your 'American wrath' now?" He waited for an answer, staring expectantly at her figure, which was fearfully trembling against her window pane. She stared into his normally calm eyes with her wide ones.

They were a raging green tempest, emotions swirling about, love mixed with hate, friendship with relationships; Diana was afraid, truly fearing (and with good reason) the whip which Kurama held in his hand. _Oh no, oh no... I need to get away! Somehow..._She thought frantically, looking around for some sort of escape, still unclear as to how she could think organized thoughts. Kurama noticed her discomfort and smirked wider (if possible). "I knew it. You can't do anything! I have complete control!"

_Oh no, oh no..._Diana thought, closing her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the end. _Wait!_ A sudden thought popped into her head and she opened her eyes slowly, trying to overcome her fear.

She got up slowly, watching Kurama warily. Then, she decided to speak. "Fucker!" Diana opened her window quickly, ran out, and, once out of sight, climbed stealthily up the side ladder to her 'spot' on the roof.

She hid underneath some low branches for what seemed like (and probably was) hours, ignoring Shiori's concerned calls. As night approached, she felt her consciousness drift away, but resisted her overwhelming fatigue, afraid to be unprepared. She finally allowed sleep to overtake her, forgetting her fear as the full moon ebbed out of sight.

* * *

Kurama watched as Diana whipped out of her open window, not bothering to close it as she fled. Then, as soon as she left, he realized what he had almost done. _I almost killed her! Over a stupid pencil!_ He thought, common sense reinstated. "Shit!" He said out loud, his whip reverting into a flower. _I guess my cover's blown..._He walked over to her disorganized desk and kicked it forcefully, causing a dent. A wooden sword that Diana had bought ages ago fell to the floor, getting a slight crack. As Kurama glared angrily at the chipped wood, he had a sudden idea. 

Hiei felt a smart rapping on his tree, waking him up from his less-than-peaceful sleep. He glared down at whatever had disturbed him and was surprised to find Kurama standing there, looking as if he had run a long way. "Hiei..." he panted tiredly, looking up at the fire demon with a pathetic look. "I'm sorry!" Hiei snorted.

"I'll bet you are, Kurama." He suddenly disappeared, reappearing next to the fox demon almost instantly. "I don't know if I should trust you." Kurama shifted nervously. "Now, what do you want?" Hiei finished, looking (although his look suspiciously resembled a glare) at his disheveled friend.

"I-I need help. Tonight." He said hurriedly, giving Hiei a meaningful look, trying desperately to transfer his inner torment. Unbeknownst to Kurama, he already understood; he was suffering from the very same problem. The setting sun threw Kurama's face into shadow as he finished, "I need you to kill someone."

**A/N:** And so the real plot begins! BTW, if any of you are interested in Harry Potter, could you please read my story? It's called The All American Rebel. Thank you! Please review!


	9. The Turqouise Invasion

Hello! Well, I'm back again! Hope you enjoy! Thank you to all my reviewers!

**Reborn-soul-09:** Too much too tell. However, reading is a good thing ::wink, wink::

**Sapphire66:** Yeah, hormones suck, don't they?

**Jaderabbit:** Well, I don't see how murder is funny, but as long as you like the story...

**Princess Shadowcat**: Athena's cool. I like Artemis the best, in case you couldn't tell. What do you mean _like_ to own? I _do_ own them, both Hiei and Kurama! ::runs away from angry fangirls, claiming bishie ownership::

**Demonphonix:** Yeah, I was kinda...vague, to say the least. It isn't explained in this chapter, though.

**Moon Archer:** You shouldn't be on the internet that late...Wait, never mind. I was on at midnight last night. ;)

**Kuramalovergonecrazy:** Were you, like, tired when you wrote that review? It has a heck of a lot less energy than be my imagination...

**Disclaimer:** I do **not** own Yu Yu Hakusho. If I did, that would be a scary thing.

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Nine: The Turquoise Invasion

Diana, still in her school uniform, slept restlessly underneath the light of the full moon, a breeze ruffling her short hair playfully as she dreamt of a crazed silver-haired fox, wielding a deadly rose. She awoke abruptly, hearing a rather loud rustle in the nearby trees.

Snapping to her to attention, she said, failing to keep the sleep out of her voice, "W-Who's there? Sh-Show yourself!" She heard more rustling, this time closer to her. She caught a glimpse of a white scarf and leaned recklessly toward the trees, searching relentlessly. She then jumped as she heard a voice beside her.

"You won't find anything in there, onna." Diana turned around abruptly and found herself facing a five-foot-nothing, gothic teenager, whom she hadn't seen in roughly a week.

"H-Hiei....." Her green eyes widened in fear, although she wasn't quite sure why. Something in the air told her that she should be wary, and she trusted the unseen force completely. Hiei smirked at her arrogantly and she continued, much stronger than she felt, "What do you want? I was trying to be alone." She tried to sound angry, but failed miserably, and sounded like a pathetic child, which, in effect, she was. _I suck at threats..._She thought dismally. Hiei's smirk grew even wider. He, in one smooth movement, drew his katana, and was to the point of killing her, but hesitated; his first mistake.

He sensed some odd spirit energy around her, a faint aura, no different than that of the wind. He looked at Diana, really _looked_ at her, trying to discover the hidden energy. He saw a glint of crimson around her, but other than that, there was nothing. Diana, having closed her eyes, dared to open them a little bit, and saw to her surprise that Hiei was looking at her closely. He literally inches away from her, crimson eyes staring at her dazedly, as if he could never look away.

Diana, in the midst of being utterly freaked out, sensed weakness in Hiei's resolve and took the opportunity; drawing on previously unknown strength, she grabbed the katana's edge and yanked it from Hiei's loose grip. She pushed him to the rough roof forcefully and, kneeling on top of his downfallen body, pressed the sharp steel to his throat.

"What. Do. You. Want." She said angrily, short hair shadowing her eyes, although Hiei could see the hurt in them. _I...I can't do it! I can't follow through! Am...I too weak!?_ The demon thought frantically, hands itching to hold his katana, pinned to his sides by Diana's rather awkward positioning. He tried, still frantic, to think of a way to escape Diana's, and, eventually, Kurama's wrath. However, he couldn't ignore Diana's human features, as her face loomed angrily above his own. He glanced at her reddish-brown hair, which shined golden in the moonlight, shadowing angry emerald eyes. She was still wearing her red school uniform, along with it an old piece of black fabric which Hiei vaguely noticed, smiling a tad. The boy saw her twitch a little, her grip loosening; she could not hold the heavy sword for much longer.

Suddenly, on an unexplained impulse, Hiei leaned upward, allowing the sword to press lightly against his throat, leaving a thin, red line. He then pushed it out of the way, allowing it to roll onto the smooth roof and fall to the ground. Catching Diana off guard, he pushed her weak frame to the ground; her unexplained strength seemed to have evaporated, leaving her defenseless against Hiei's heavily trained muscles. She could have used it; Hiei then touched his lips to hers, wrapping his hands around her struggling head, messing up her hair slightly. If was as if he could not restrain himself; he was soon kissing her passionately, allowing his hands to roam freely, although he knew, deep inside, that he shouldn't. The girl struggled valiantly against his short frame, eventually able to push his tainted hands away, staring at him with a mixture of fear, disbelief, and anger, although anger was chief.

He saw her disheveled appearance and realized at once what he had done, eyes wide with horror. The appalled girl swung her hand forcefully, intending a painful slap, but Hiei disappeared faster than the eye (or at least Diana's eyes) could see. Her hand instead hit a thin pipe, whose purpose she had never identified, and she cursed loudly.

"What the hell!?!? Dammit, Hiei!! How dare you!!! I'll get revenge!!!!" Her eyes stung and she felt a hot sensation on her cheek as she realized that she was crying, although she wasn't quite sure why. She then heard, much to her shock, a melodious voice coming from the shadows.

"Revenge, huh? Ooooh, good girl wants some pay back, does she? Ha, I don't blame you. All men are stupid like that." Diana turned in all directions, frantic as she was unable to find the source, bewildered at its words. She decided instead to retaliate, sounding braver than she felt.

"Where are you, and what are you talking about?!" She hadn't meant that revenge thing; she had just said that in the heat of the moment. _The worst I could do is ignore him..._She thought, still frantic but slightly crestfallen at her pathetic defenses.

"Ah, yes, but if I take your revenge, I can make it much sweeter. I have issues to resolve, myself. And I have power." The voice laughed, a sweet laugh, melodious like her voice. Diana was still searching for the voice's owner and it added, "Look up here, that's a doll." Diana looked up toward the sky, unsure of the consequences but curious all the same. The last thing she remembered was seeing a semi-transparent shadow, in the vague shape of a curvaceous woman with turquoise eyes, wearing what looked like ancient Greek clothing. It dived down toward her and she watched it enter her body, helpless. She was able to utter a single, helpless word, a plea really, before falling into total darkness.

"Kurama..."

**A/N:** Ohmigosh! What will happen!? Read, review, and have patience!


	10. Fights, Smoke, and Strangers

Oh, bad image...My oh-so-kind beta-reader has just given me a mental picture of Kurama, smoking on a street corner, awaiting a prostitute. You can imagine the joy. Please don't kill me, Kurama!

**Crimson314**: Thank you for the compliment. Don't down-talk yourself, though. Your writing is awesome, but you should post more often. I'm willing to help all I can.

**Kuramalovergonecrazy:** Way to take the blame! Err....::stares at angry, although imaginary, characters, who are holding various weapons:: Umm...Blame the Bush Administration? ::Runs away, screaming, "I'm sorry!"::

**Moon Archer: **Thanks for reviewing. You know, but no one else knows, so don't you dare reveal it! Plus, I can blackmail you. I know something about your story...::evil laughter::

**Jaderabbit**: No...I can see where you're coming from, though. That last word was meant as a sort of plea. A cry for help, if you will.

**Hiei-Lover152:** Thank you.

**Cartoon-Protector:** Dude! Why haven't you posted recently?! Oh, well. I have ::gags:: school to keep me occupied. Thank you for reviewing. It's awesome when you review, but I'm okay, so long as you read and enjoy. After all, that's the point of my writing on this site, isn't it?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own either YYH or Kurama. You don't **_want _**me to own Kurama!

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Ten: Fights, Smoke, and Strangers

_I'm so dead..._Hiei thought glumly, running toward his forest under the cover of night. However, he could not help but feel a sense of accomplishment; he had -- finally -- confronted Diana, although it was not in the most traditional way. Had he been in his usual, alert state, he would have noticed the crimson colored shadow trailing behind him, stalking his every move, watching him murderously with turquoise eyes.

Hiei drew closer to his tree and, fearing conflict, reached toward his katana. He was met with a surprise; he touched only the sheath. _I must have left it with Diana..._Hiei realized, frantic as he remembered how Diana had used his vulnerability against him. _She **has** made me weak..._He silently scolded himself for being so careless. It was as if, in that one moment, so close to Diana, he had lost all control. Instead of doing his deed, thus saving both himself and Kurama from weakness, he had increased their danger twofold._ I guess it's too late to kill her..._

The fire demon stopped suddenly, upon reaching his clearing (he could tell by the burned tree.) There was Kurama, training frantically, a maniac glint in his emerald eyes. The red-haired boy held his rose whip in his out-of-practice hands, trying desperately to destroy some nearby bushes. His aim was pathetic; he split a log roughly five feet to the left of his current target.

"If you can't aim, I suggest you don't use your whip." Hiei commented coldly from behind him, a form of 'hello'. The fox demon whipped around hurriedly, an anxious expression written on his face.

He chose to ignore Hiei's comment and inquired, voice higher than normal, "Is she dead?" Hiei didn't answer, instead disappearing into his usual spot in the canopy, his black cloak blending against the ashy bark. "Hiei! Answer me!" Kurama continued, yelling angrily; if Diana was still alive, he would be all but dead, for he had already blown his cover. When Hiei again didn't respond, the teenager kicked the tree, venting his frustration. The tall structure shook violently, for it had been significantly weakened by Hiei's dragon of the darkness flame, and it forced Hiei to jump out quickly, lest he fall twenty feet, to the hard ground below. He glared at Kurama coldly, landing just opposite the fox demon.

"You could've killed me, you know," Hiei responded, carefully avoiding the question. However, Kurama could not be dissuaded.

"Is she dead or not?" He asked once more, his voice a deadly calm. Hiei mumbled something which Kurama could not hear, so he asked, again, "Tell me, Hiei. Did you or didn't you kill Diana?" Hiei turned his back to the fox demon, to prevent his face from betraying any emotion.

"Why do you care so much that she dies?" Hiei heard Kurama begin a feeble excuse, blaming it on her immaturity, which 'forced' him to lose his temper. "That's bull, Kurama. If she's immature, than you should have known better than to lose your temper. You were just afraid." Hiei turned around to face Kurama once more, missing the silvery smoke which began to surround the two demons completely. Kurama, too, missed it, shocked by Hiei's accusation.

"Wh-Where do you get that idea?" He tried to sound casual, but could not hide his panic; Hiei knew him well, and could easily infer his motives.

"You were afraid that Diana would reject you! You didn't want to let go! Am I right?" Hiei finished, glaring daggers at Kurama's shrinking figure, looking extremely superior. Kurama shook his head frantically, trying to block out the emotions flooding in. He closed his eyes, backing away from Hiei all the while, as if distancing himself would make the pain, the realization of his true motives, disappear.

_Hiei knows...It's...I..._ "No!" Kurama yelled, panicked. He turned to run, tripped over a protruding root, and fell, face first, into the barrier of silvery smoke around the two. The smoke immediately enveloped him and he saw, through a veil of silver, that the same had happened to Hiei. Not a minute later, the smoke dispersed, leaving in its wake two boys, although they were now drastically different.

Kurama had grown about one foot taller, while Hiei had stayed roughly the same height. The previously red-haired teen surveyed the green-skinned demon coolly though amber eyes, not unnerved in the slightest by his eyeball-covered complexion. His silver fox ears, sticking out of layers of matching silver hair, twitched slightly as he heard a voice in the distance, laughing melodiously.

"Oh, wow. I never thought I'd see you again, Yoko." Suddenly, as a woman's silhouetted figure stepped out of the brightening forest, her voice turned contemptuous. "I'm sorry that I did," she finished, stepping out in clear view, joining the two demons. Both Yoko's and Hiei's eyes widened at the woman before them, taking in her appearance.

**A/N**: Ooh! Cliff-hanger! Who is that woman? Is it a woman indeed? Or is it something..._more_? Please read and review! Mucho props to my beta-reader, Moon Archer.


	11. The Goddess, Challenges, and Thievery

Okay, I'm writing this, like, five minutes before I have to leave. Sorry, but no reviewer responses today. Thanks to all who reviewed!

**Disclaimer:** I don't, nor will I ever, own Yu Yu Hakusho.

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Eleven: The Goddess, Challenges, and Thievery

The mysterious women had mid-length brown-red hair, tied in a messy braid. She wore a white linen dress and Greek-style moccasins covered her small feet. Her piercing turquoise eyes surveyed the situation coolly; until she saw Yoko, that is. Her eyes widened in shock, but then narrowed in hate. Her petite mouth formed a straight line, which radiated extreme hatred. Hiei used this opportunity to try and escape, but the mysterious women stuck out her arm and flicked her wrist in a practiced movement; suddenly Hiei was bound to the ground by numerous plants. Yoko just stood there, shocked by the plants' reaction to her movement. He hadn't done anything, had he? The only explanation was that this woman had forced the plants to do that. But how? He sensed no demonic aura around her. The only mortal that could do that was...

"Oh, no..." Yoko whispered inaudibly, now staring open-mouthed at the familiar stranger. His normally arrogant attitude had been abandoned for a more timid approach. "How....How are you alive?" He asked, bewildered.

She merely laughed arrogantly, sending chills up both Hiei's and Yoko's spine. She then responded in a melodious voice, "Did you think that you would get rid of me that easily? No, I will still get my revenge. On both of you." She laughed again and added to Hiei, who was struggling on the ground, "I do not think we have met before. My name is Artemis, the almighty huntress, and Yoko's worst nightmare," she finished, her turquoise eyes glittering with malice.

Hiei looked at Yoko questioningly, and the fox demon responded with a shrug. The silver-haired fox glared at Artemis, as she was called, and growled menacingly, "I don't know who you are, or why you hate me, but I will kill anyone who challenges me." He tried to regain his cool, but failed spectacularly. She laughed yet again, causing another bout of chills.

"You always were a liar, Yoko. You know exactly who I am; you're just trying to cover up your past. You cannot hide from a Goddess, surely you know that now." Her turquoise eyes sparkled as she read the minds of the two boys. She laughed again. Hiei had sensed a strange aura about her, and with that last statement it was clear what the aura was. Or rather, to whom it belonged. He remembered sensing the very same aura around Diana, though it had been notably fainter than that of the Goddess's. His red eyes widened in shock as he slowly realized the truth.

Artemis looked right into Hiei's eyes, reading his mind. She chuckled and said, "Yes, Hiei. You are correct. I am Artemis, otherwise known as...Diana" Her eyes glittered mischievously, looking exactly like Diana's when she was up to something. She gave them both a smile, which said quite clearly, 'You're all going to die.'

Yoko shuddered in horror at some past memory and responded, losing all of his feigned arrogance, "P-Please l-leave us a-alone, Ar-Artemis. We've done no harm. J-Just leave us be." He earned severe looks of disapproval from Hiei, because he had humbled himself before the obviously superior Goddess. _He's supposed to be the strong, arrogant one! How dare he show weakness!_ Hiei thought disgustedly. Artemis, who had been reading his mind, disapproved of this attitude, like many others. However, unlike many others, she could actually do something about it. The turquoise-eyed goddess gave him an 'I dare you to challenge me' look, and he, being Hiei, did not back down.

The spiky-haired demon freed himself of the vegetation, unaware that Artemis, who was eager for a challenge, had allowed him to do so. She suppressed a giggle and got in a fighting stance, mirroring Hiei's. Yoko, meanwhile, began to revert to his normal form, as did Hiei. His now green eyes shined with compassion as he screamed, "Noooooooooooo! Hiei, you mustn't challenge her! She's too strong for you!" He looked utterly pathetic; his long, red hair was knotted and his normally perfect face was contorted with fear for his best friend. Artemis merely glanced at him and laughed, yet again. Hiei gave him a 'Stay out of this, fox!' look and continued, preparing for the impending fight. However, he found himself paralyzed as Artemis removed his katana from behind her back, the steel shining in the approaching dawn.

She smirked arrogantly. "Do you recognize this, Hiei? Do you remember your actions?" Hiei glimpsed a slightly confused look on Kurama's face and he gingerly touched a thin, red line on his throat. An overpowering feeling of shame, mingled with fear, rose in him, flooding him from black-booted feet to spiky hair. Artemis, seeming to perfectly understand his dilemma, laughed. "Well, let's hope you've read Greek mythology," she spoke. And with that she walked closer to his frozen form, wielding his katana expertly.

**A/N:** Okay, I'm fairly sure that that sucked. I didn't proofread it, so you'll have to deal. Later! Happy Holidays!


	12. Screams, Shackles, and Unintentional Sui...

Hi people! I'm way too lazy to respond, so thanks to all who reviewed both chapter eleven and ten. Sorry, but yet another cliff-hanger. Happy New Year! Thank you especially to Crimson314, for wishing me happy B-day. I'm 15!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own YYH or Greek Mythology, although I'm fairly certain that that's not copyrighted...

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Twelve: Shackles, Screams, and Unintentional Suicide (foreboding, isn't it?)

Hiei felt shame flood him, seeming to tighten around his ankles like shackles. His inner guilt was so real; he thought he felt said shackles in reality, restraining his every movement. _I'm glad they aren't..._ The fire demon began to think, and then looked down. "Real?" He yelled, frantic upon seeing the vines that had snaked around his legs, completely covering his boots with his imprisonment.

Artemis laughed as the spiky-haired pyromaniac tugged uselessly at his legs, causing his captors to tighten even farther. He looked to Kurama for assistance, but his best friend wasn't concentrating nearly hard enough to make this happen or, for that matter, reverse it. He was staring pleadingly at Artemis, who was, in turn, looking at Hiei and effortlessly controlling the vines which destroyed his only defense, his primary one currently held in her pale-skinned hand. Hiei tried to brush away his inevitable panic and distracted himself by trying to burn away the vines. However, all he succeeded in burning was his own leg.

"Shit!" He cursed loudly, causing Artemis to smile, amused. She gave him an innocent look which made clear that the vines were her doing

"Oh, poor Hiei! The feisty little fire demon can't even burn some little bitty vines." Her voice then changed to that of someone who deeply enjoyed causing anxiety on another, "You should have listened to the kitsune, shorty. It would have saved you a lot of pain. I wanted to kill the kitsune first, then you. But, I guess sometimes things go out of order..." She shrugged, smiling menacingly, and flicked her free hand delicately; instantaneously, dozens of equally thick vines wrapped themselves around Hiei and pulled him to the ground, hard. The vertically-challenged demon got the wind knocked out of him, but was barely conscious. Barely.

The Goddess made her way over to him gracefully, totally ignoring Kurama's rose whip, with which he was lashing her mercilessly, his concern growing into anger. Artemis, if her face was a proper judge, grew annoyed of his pathetic attempts, although they would have easily sliced the strongest of the S-class demons into spaghetti. The brown haired women grabbed the whip in midair; it went limp and the goddess glared at the green weapon, its razor-sharp thorns not piercing her skin in the slightest.

Hiei watched, eyes wide, as the whip began to glow with blinding crimson energy. Kurama just stared at it with awe, watching intently as the energy flowed like electricity across his thorn-covered whip. In fact, he was caught up in watching and thinking of his oh-so-obvious defeat, he didn't retaliate when the light traveled from the whip onto his body, enveloping him in the crimson energy which radiated divinity. He gasped in a kind of daze and began to fight, but was too late. Artemis, suddenly standing in front of him, pointed a fair finger at him, then used it to make a sort of cutting motion across her neck; she was telling him, in all too clear terms, that he was dead, or at least close to it.

Suddenly, Kurama felt an electric shock course through his captured body, singeing him down to the bone, pouring out his skin and afflicting him inside and out. He felt the pores of his skin break into a sweat from the heat; they worsened the shock because of the moisture. Artemis just laughed.

"You know you deserve this, Kurama. You played with my poor host's heart, and you know it. Did you ever think that she had her own problems? No. You were too busy with your own emotions." Kurama looked down, ashamed. _She's... She's right!_ He thought. He again felt a shock flood his blood, so powerful than he allowed a painful scream to escape his rather whitened lips. Hiei tensed, trying frantically to escape the vines which were wrapped around him tighter than a mummy. His green prison, however, tightened even farther, nearly suffocating its prisoner.

"Hiei... Stay down..." Kurama managed to gasp, seeing his friend struggle for his sake. Artemis laughed her mirthless laugh, so opposite Diana's lighthearted one.

"Yes, Hiei, stay down. That way my vines can kill you faster. You do realize that your own guilt fuels them, don't you? Your own guilt is restricting you from saving your best friend." She stroked her chin in mock thought, adding, "I wonder, what could have happened that was so bad? Could it involve... hormones, perhaps? Maybe your jealousy got the better of you. Maybe it has to do with that cut on your throat!" Artemis was now yelling, her anger clouding her face; Hiei felt his cut sting as the vines, _his_ vines, wrapped around his throat. _I... I'm going to die!_ He thought, guilt now overwhelming him, both in and out of his mind. His thoughts suddenly turned to Diana, her pale, freckled face laughing jovially as Hiei said something sarcastic to Kuwabara. _I... never thought that it would be this bad..._

He saw, through a narrow gap in the vines that now covered his face, but not his hair, his katana beside Artemis, lying on the bloodied ground surrounding Kurama. He felt the vines tighten farther, paining him now to breathe. _I'm sorry! I... I didn't want it to be like this! _He thought, unable to speak. Artemis didn't hear him. She was too busy causing Kurama more agony, for Hiei heard another blood-curdling scream of torture. _This... Is too much, even for me..._ As the fire demon finally felt his last mouthful of air desert him, a voice shone through his murky consciousness, like a crimson light in a fog. Artemis seemed to have turned her attention to him again.

"Hiei, know this, you killed yourself. Your own guilt did you in. You have to face consequences, and mine... are **severe**."

**A/N:** Climatic, no? The end is drawing near for this story, but the excitement has just begun... Well, no, not really.:readers facefault: ANYway, please review.


	13. The Defeat

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Thirteen: The Defeat

Hiei felt his consciousness slip from his grasp and was able to mumble only one thing before the blackness of night overtook his mind:

"Sorry..." And with that, his vine casket closed, blocking out both his light and his thinking conscious.

Sadly, neither Kurama nor Artemis heard his final apology, Artemis' triumphant laughter ringing in the crisp early morning air. Chills once more went down Kurama's bound form, forcing his rose whip to wrap tighter around him. He unsuccessfully stifled a gasp of pain as the puddle of his own blood and sweat grew larger beneath him, now more like a pool than a puddle. After finishing her spiteful mirth, the brown-haired, freckled goddess approached the cocoon of the restraining vines.

Artemis, fierce satisfaction a flame in her turquoise irises, gave what used to be Hiei a hard kick with one moccasin-shod foot, sending him flying. The goddess and Kurama heard a loud 'bang'; Hiei, it seemed, had hit a tree, thus stopping his flight. Kurama felt anger rise in his chest, and then felt it sink as he realized whose fault it was: his, and maybe some of Hiei's.

"I'd say he's dead, wouldn't you?" Kurama stared into Artemis' eyes, emerald meeting emerald in a weak confrontation. The goddess, tunic swaying, made her way back toward her remaining captor, grinning sadistically. "Suicide vines, Grecian specialty." - She indicated somewhere in the distance, presumably where Hiei's body was located - "Well, now I suppose I shall have to play with you..." Her grin widened and the teenager's fear grew tenfold. Now a few feet away from his vine-bound form, the Goddess raised her hands, holding in them an orb of crimson energy. "This is an orb of torture, reserved for the worst of those who offend me. And guess what? You've fit perfectly into that category." Then, without another boast, the tall woman threw the orb forcefully at the fox demon's chest. It sunk through the whip and the red-head's ripped, sweaty, and blood-soaked shirt, directly sinking into the boy's skin.

One tense, suspenseful minute passed. Kurama closed his eyes and hung his head, hoping that this punishment was his last and that death would offer a grateful reprieve. His hopes were dashed as he felt a shock more powerful than anything he had ever felt course through his system. It stopped, leaving the boy more and more exhausted with each second that passed; his very breathing became tiresome. What Kurama wanted more than anything was just to die, or at least lose consciousness; sadly, he stayed wide awake.

Angry, the boy raised his head a scant centimeter and spat spitefully on Artemis' moccasin, eyes still closed. He could sense rather than see the woman wrinkle her freckled, delicate nose in disgust.

"You make me sick." He heard the goddess of the hunt say nastily, hanging his head once more. "I've tired of your defiance, Kurama. Now die!"

Another shock coursed through the demon's system, but this time did not stop. He again uttered a scream of pure torture, one which shook the very forest around them. The boy's shirt disintegrated. Watching interestedly, Artemis leaned against a tree parallel to her captor's. After the shock subsided, Kurama hung limp, looking for all the world like his was dead. Artemis knew better.

"I know you're still alive, Kurama. I'm not stupid. Think you're so clever; think just because every other girl in that damn school likes you, Diana would too. Well, guess what? She doesn't! She may think she does, but she's sadly mistaken. All men do is trick women, and we're all better off without them. In fact, since I've been revived, and I won't revert back to your precious girlfriend until I run out of energy or am defeated - neither of which will happen - I stay in control of this teenager's body. As such, I will definitely help her to amend her life. Because _I _am nice, and_ I _don't trick people!

"In fact, I have an idea. As a goddess and a feminist, I consider it my duty to protect all women with my powers. Being dormant as I was for who knows how long, I could not do that. Now, however, I shall make up for that. Rather than wait for the select few brilliantly intelligent woman in this new world, I'll give them salvation. No longer will they have to worry about rape, molestation, divorce or break-up due to cheating, rotten men." Her grin was impossibly wide as she continued her monologue, explaining her ultimate plan to the barely conscious boy just because she could. "I'll just eliminate them all. No. More. Men. Period." Suddenly, she realized what she had been doing for the past twenty minutes or so. "Oh, poo. I've allowed myself a monologue." She shrugged her slim, tunic-covered shoulders. "Oh, well. Must get on with it, I s'pose. Hiei was first, and you, my dear, will be second."

Artemis waited fro a reaction to her long speech, and frowned when she received none. I didn't think I did it that bad... She thought sadly, regretful that she had missed the fun of seeing Kurama's blood-streaked face in absolute panic. Instead, a shock of fried, blood-matted red hair flopped over the boy's dirty face, dripping onto his slim, bare, burnt and cut chest. His injuries were severe enough to kill him, yet he would not die, much to Artemis' disappointment.

"Well, you're no fun. I guess I'll just kill you, since I won't get a reaction anyway. I'm sure you'd rather be dead as it is." She shrugged spitefully, hands surrounded in crimson energy. The energy formed itself into a masterfully crafted silver bow and a few griffin-fletched silver arrows with tips sharper than those of the discarded sword which lay behind the goddess' hourglass figure. She nocked one, aimed, and loosed; it landed precisely a centimeter to the side of Kurama's neck, just below his jaw line.

Kurama, too weary to even care, did not respond; indeed, the only consequence to the arrow's strike was a long red lock falling into the pool of blood and sweat at the boy's feet. A frown once again besmirched the goddess' other perfect face. She tried this tactic twice more, this aim-and-miss-on-purpose, but without avail; the fox demon still did not stir. Finally, the goddess sighed.

"I give up. You won't respond to my attacks, and I've prolonged your death long enough." She nocked for one last time, fully intending to hit. "I guess this is goodbye, Kurama. Diana won't miss you, I'm sure." With that, she loosed, the arrow heading straight for the boy's heart.

**A/N**: I'm so cruel! A cliffy! Sorry, really, I am, but I have to keep your interest, y'know? And, to reviewers, if you don't like my story/character/writing style, please, just don't even bother writing a review. Unless it's got some constructive criticism, it's not really worth your time or mine. Thanks a bunch.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to YYH. I own Diana, but that's about it.


	14. The Close Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH

**The Girl, the God, and The Demons**

Chapter Fourteen: The Close Escape

Artemis watched with arrogant satisfaction as her silver arrow drew nearer to Kurama's exposed flesh. Laughing, she traced its path with her cold yet enchanting turquoise eyes.

"Well, Yoko... This is the end. Sorry for not killing you faster..." The goddess paused, looking thoughtful. "Wait, no I'm not. What I'm really sorry for is that you couldn't stay conscious long enough to scream in _pure_, **_horrific_**, **_bloody_** **_TERROR_**! **_MUWHAHAHAHA!_**" She cleared her throat and instantly regained her composure, acting as though she had not just acted very unlike a Grecian goddess should act, albeit the goddess of the hunt. Looking back at Kurama, she expected him to be dead, an arrow through him.

She was wrong.

As her freckled face turned toward her victim, a bright blue-white burst of energy filled the clearing. Coughing in a most un-goddess-like way, Artemis waved her delicate hand regally and immediately the smoke resulting from the blast dissipated. A scowl plastered on her face, the tunic-clad burnet looked toward Kurama and was shocked to see him sprawled in a puddle of his own blood, free of binds. Above the battered fox demon stood an even more shocking sight: a teenage boy of average height, clad in the outfit of Mieou High, although his was in a great deal cleaner than Kurama's, not to mention still in one piece. An unfathomably enraged expression graced the otherwise rather handsome features looming underneath the boy's greased chocolate hair. His eyes, a brown lighter than that of his hair, but still a deep shade nonetheless, shone with an intense fire of vengeance. Clearly, he intended to make Artemis pay. Yusuke Urameshi then smirked arrogantly, somehow managing to show disrespect and anger at the same time.

"Y'know that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity, right? Or maybe it was answering your own questions..." The spirit detective looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. "Ah, hell, who cares? Point is, you're as insane and sadistic as they come. And that's saying a lot, 'cause I know Hiei." Artemis was not in the mood to joke.

"Shut up, you male chauvinist! How _dare_ you interrupt my killing of that pathetic little pion! For that you will pay!" Yusuke immediately dropped his smirk, replacing it with a death glare rivaling that of Hiei's worst. He sidestepped Kurama's prone form and the goddess immediately raised her bow in defense. Yusuke spotted this action of defiance and laughed in his typical 'you-can't-beat-me' fashion.

"_He's_ pathetic? Please! Look at yourself! You're losing power as we speak." Against her instincts, the goddess glanced at her hands; the bright crimson glow that was usually her energy had faded to a pinkish-red combination. She cursed.

"Fine! I'll just have to kill you fas-" Yusuke was suddenly at her face, sneering. Catching her off guard, the teen was able to knock the dangerous bow out of her hands. Before the goddess could respond, knowing this fight would be a challenge, Yusuke then delivered the most powerful, spirit-energy-powered right hook he could muster to her midsection, putting most of his power behind it. She flew back several feet, crashing straight through the tree behind her and doing so through at least seven of the sturdy trunks. Yusuke's eyes widened slightly; had it been _that_ powerful? Shrugging, he walked to the goddess' still form, following the trail of the fading energy. Underneath that energy, however, the spirit detective sensed something very strange... Something almost like a human... _That can't be_, he thought, _it's almost like that freaky transfer Kurama likes... _Suddenly, Yusuke found himself on the receiving end of a crimson blast. He was now back where was he was to begin with, next to Kurama, who had still not moved.

Laughter rang through the forest for the umpteenth time that night. Now, however, it was more morning than anything. The sun was rising, promising a very black day for the tentai.

"Really, you actually think that _hurt_! Ha!" Artemis, completely unscathed, emerged before them in all her majestic glory. She smirked and for the first time since facing her, Yusuke felt the fear that had filled him after hearing Kurama's distant scream (although he did not know it was Kurama's at the time). "Time to die now. So long, little detective." The goddess nocked her bow and aimed. As she loosed, Yusuke got up and used what remained of his sprit energy to shield himself. The arrow, however, proved too powerful. It penetrated his defense and was able to nick his shirt as well as his chest severely before falling. Luckily, penetrating the Reikai shield seemed to have taken most of its effort. The goddess strode closer to the spirit detective; the teen backed away hastily, stopping rather abruptly as he collided with Kurama's ragged and unconscious body.

The goddess was now scant centimeters away from Yusuke, who hurriedly pushed himself out of Kurama's blood puddle and stood up shakily, trying and failing extravagantly to create a bluff of strength. Artemis put a finger on the boy's chest wound, smirking. Yusuke, rather than take the chance to attack, shot the deity a confused glare; it was his last mistake of the fight.

Next thing he knew, the brown-haired teen was lying on the ground, shocks coursing through his system at the pace of one million per minute. Artemis, standing above him as he writhed in pain, shook her head in mock shame; reddish-brown locks swung to and fro in front of her freckled face, but they could not hide the ecstatic flame in the goddess' turquoise eyes. She was clearly enjoying every minute, every gasp, every grunt of pain and agony that was emitting from the boy in excess.

"Well, now, I think I've had my fun," Artemis muttered in quiet triumph as she waved her hand; immediately, the shocks ceased. _Well, I'm really just about to lose my power..._ She thought, noting the now pinkish-white glow about her hands with disgust. Yusuke, now lying flat on his back, leaves as his bed, panting heavily, had he had more energy, would have noticed that Artemis' ancient footwear had been traded for a pair of worn-in converse; the name 'Diana' was written all over the white rims in sloppy, almost incomprehensible handwriting.

The goddess set aside the imminent panic rising within her delicately adorned chest and picked up the bow lying at her feet, exactly where it had been when Yusuke had knocked it from her hands when their fight began. It seemed like eons ago, although in reality it had only been about half and hour. She nocked it and aimed at the boy, but did not loose; more gloating was to be done first.

Sighing melodramatically, the turquoise-eyed divinity stared down at her soon-to-be prey.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted. But who should I kill first: you, or Kurama?" Switching her aim back and forth, she stopped as Yusuke weakly lifted his head. Shock shined in her irises.

"You're not killing anyone, lady. You're time's up." He rasped, still panting. Artemis, enraged at his unending arrogance, dropped the bow and sent a powerful shock of gold at him. This gold energy, it appeared, was the goddess's very life force, for then she suddenly shone brightly and collapsed, falling to the ground.

**A/N**: Long enough, you think? I hope it at least kinda makes up for my lack of good stuff in this story. Please, PLEASE, _please_ review!


	15. The Separation

**The Girl, The God, and The Demons**

Chapter Fifteen: The Separation

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything related to YYH. Can't stop me from writing, though!

"God, I have such a headache right now... It's almost as bad as that hangover I got once..." Diana moaned piteously as she forced herself to sit up. "Huh? Why am I in a bed?" She spoke aloud as she scanned her surroundings. She was lying in one of two occupied identical white beds, one of which was currently empty but had ruffled sheets, showing that its occupant was probably 'out to lunch' at that moment. They were two of dozens of beds that filled the all-white room. Looking down at herself, the emerald-eyed teen could not help but screech.

Back in Koenma's office, the Reikai Tantei heard a shrill screech from within the infirmary and rose quickly, heading to Diana's rescue, Kurama in the lead (although Hiei was not far behind.) When the four entered, Koenma walking in seconds after them, they saw no threat. They saw only a lump of sheets that was Diana, whimpering pathetically.

"Show yourself, demon!" Hiei called out menacingly, a dangerous edge to his voice. The girl-lump whimpered more audibly than before. She muttered something from within her covering, but none of the group could understand her. Kurama sighed and pulled the sheets off of the girl with quite an effort, for she did not want to be uncovered. Diana, now free of her disguise, tumbled off of the bed, opened one emerald eye, took in her audience, and closed the eye once more.

"Give them back!" She shouted from the cold, shiny ground, hugging her knees tightly. "And I'm not a demon! I may be evil, but I'm no demon. I'm just twisted is all." Yusuke rolled his eyes.

"We weren't talking about you, American!"

"Well, then who were you shouting at, huh? I'm the only one in here, stupid! And I resent that comment!"

"We were talking to whatever scared you, Di," Kurama intervened before the argument could continue further. Knowing Diana, it could have gone for hours.

"What the hell are you taking? Nothing attacked me! This isn't, like, some science fiction movie or something! Now give me back my sheets!"

"Why?" Hiei challenged, grinning. Kuwabara gave him a funny look and mouthed, 'How can you mess around at a time like this?' Hiei ignored the ningen.

"'Cause the almighty Diana says so!" Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei especially flinched, remembering Artemis and all her sadistic torture. "Now give them!"

"You are a fool, human. Get up off the ground," The little demon commented in a derisive voice. Diana huffed indignantly.

"I'm not no fool!" Diana retorted indignantly in a slight drawl as she pulled herself onto her bed, casting a longing look at the floor as she resettled herself. Wiping an imaginary tear from her eye, she muttered, "Goodbye, shiny linoleum tile," and then turned her attention back to the Tantei. "Now give me back those sheets so I can cover myself up and at least try to retain some dignity!"

"That's what you screamed about?" Koenma's jaw was open in disbelief. "Your clothes!"

"More like the embarrassing thought of being seen in this skimpy hospital thing, really. Got a problem with it?"

"Well, not a problem exactly... More like confusion…"

"Too bad for you, then." Kurama handed back the girl's sheets and she wrapped them around herself tightly. Relaxing, she opened her eyes. "Jesus!" She screamed as the room nearly blinded her. "God! Repaint this stupid room, will ya?" Kurama and Hiei made eye contact, then looked away and shook their heads. Koenma cleared his throat and all stares, even Diana's, although she was currently rubbing her eyes in a fruitless attempt to see better, gravitated toward the dark-haired prince.

"Um... Shall I start to explain, or would you?" Kuwabara's hand shot up into the air, as though in school.

"I'll do it!" The others rolled their eyes and gave the orange-haired boy center stage. Diana even stopped rubbing her eyes (although that may have been because she poked one of them rather hard and it was now red and watery.) "Okay, so... I woke up and I thought, 'Hey, why not call Urameshi?' So I called him an' his ma said that he had left late last night. So I called Keiko's house-"

"What are you suggesting!" Yusuke yelled at the boy.

"Shut up, stupid Japanese child!" Diana yelled at the brown-haired spirit detective, weakly shaking her fist. She did not expect her threat to work, but Yusuke quieted. The girl looked at her fist, as though checking to see that it hadn't grown some intimidating deformity. Shrugging, she indicated for Kuwabara to continue.

"Well, point is, Yusuke wasn't anywhere I thought he'd be, so I wrote a note to my sister and left for school. When I got there, I quickly found out that both Kurama and Yusuke were gone. I asked Keiko and my beloved Yuki-chan-"

"Stay away from her," Hiei growled at the boy. Diana shushed him immediately.

"Um... well, none of you were there so I left to look for you. I was then struck with an idea-"

"Musta been pretty hard to process, huh?" It was Diana who interrupted this time, contradicting herself. Both Hiei and Yusuke shushed her. She stuck out her tongue at the two, but still shut up.

"I went to Hiei's tree and it was all black an' crispy, like someone had used it to roast marshmallows or something. So I traveled a little further and tripped on something. I looked down and saw a lock of red hair-"

"You tripped over hair!" Koenma interjected and was immediately bombarded with pillows from the infirmary beds, courtesy of Hiei, Yusuke, and Diana.

"No, I tripped over Kurama, who was lookin' a mess, asleep against some battered tree. Urameshi was close to him, not as messed-up but still lookin' pretty bad. Since he wasn't yet asleep, but gettin there pretty dang fast, I shook him awake. He looked horrible, man, all battered an' bruised an' stuff. At first I thought the Kasane guys got to 'im-"

"I could take those punks with my hands tied behind my back, fool!" Yusuke was now the one to be pelted with pillows. Koenma glance down nervously at his watch before his realized that it was only for show and did not work.

"Hurry, will you? I've important things to do, you know," The prince implored impatiently. Steam had begun to rise about him, indicating that his time as a "cool teenager" was about up. Diana shot him a confused glance, pondering fruitlessly why the hell a teenager would have steam rising from within him, but shrugged.

"Fine, fine. Geez, no time for anything..." Kuwabara muttered to himself. He was pelted with a pillow.

"Shut up and talk! And give me back my pillow, thief!" Kurama unsuccessfully stifled a laugh and tossed a pillow to Diana, who caught it perfectly, then flexed, as though catching a pillow from a distance of less than a yard was something to celebrate. (Though, in her condition, it probably was.)

"Well... Basically I found the shrimp, even Urameshi thought it'd be a waste of time to look, and he was sprawled out on the ground, lookin' like absolute crap-"

"I look better than you on my worst days, baka," Hiei growled with a cool edge to his voice. Diana laughed. Kuwabara chose to ignore this comment.

"Anyways, I got the shrimp and went back to the other three-"

"Three?" Diana asked, curious. "Who else was there?" Kurama whispered something in her ear and she nodded comprehendingly. She then seemed to freeze. "WHAT! Why was _I_ there! This is CHILD ABUSE, I tell you, CHILD ABUSE!"

"How is it child abuse?" Hiei questioned, eyebrows raised. He instantly regretted this comment as he felt his Jagan burn painfully and memories flooded both himself and Diana. He could not explain how he knew that Diana, too, saw this, but he knew. Covering his third eye with his palm, the demon suddenly dropped to his knees, wincing horribly.

Diana, meanwhile, had gone still. Her eyes glazed over and suddenly changed from their shining emerald to a vengeful turquoise. Mirthless laughter issued from her mouth, a laugh completely not her own. Kurama, Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Koenma went as far away from her as they could as she pushed herself out of the bed and stood up, completely unscathed.

"It took me fourteen years to accumulate enough energy to possess this pathetic child, and the only thing stopping me from doing it again is that accursed boy!" Diana, or rather, Artemis pointed a finger at Yusuke, who bristled as she walked closer to the trio. (Kuwabara had mysteriously disappeared, Koenma was reaching for the door handle, and Kurama was apparently frozen with shock, emerald eyes wide.)

"Hell yeah I stopped you, you sick sadist! You'd've killed us all!" As Yusuke spat out his retort, the door locked and Koenma cursed under his breath.

"SO? You deserve to die, all of you, after the crap you've put Diana through!" Yusuke was about to argue back when Koenma signaled for him to shut up. Artemis grinned in her special, fearsome way.

"What, are you afraid that you little bitty spirit detective can't _handle_ me, Koenma? Of course, you probably couldn't handle me either, come to think of it. But don't think just because you are way below my radar doesn't mean I haven't been watching you." Her turquoise eyes narrowed with hate. Hiei groaned pitifully from his spot on the floor and with a glance, Artemis rendered him unconscious. The small demon's comrades were too in shock to respond, other than staring open-mouthed and wide-eyed at the goddess, whose sadist smile appeared once more, sending a spasm of horror through both Kurama and Yusuke. (Whose was worse was anyone's guess, though Kurama seemed especially terrified, his eyes so wide that they threatened to occupy his entire face.)

"I can't now, since I'm stuck in Diana's body, but the time will come when there will be no Diana, though there wasn't supposed to be one in the first place." Here Artemis paused for effect, once again, and it was plain that she enjoyed the looks of fear and confusion on the boys' faces, most especially Kurama's.

Walking closer to the boys, the goddess stared directly into Kurama's eyes. Emerald met turquoise and soon Kurama was on his knees, quietly muttering "no!" to himself in obvious agony. Artemis looked at the boy and laughed, shooting him a quick glare. He fell limply to the floor, exactly as Hiei had done. Finished with the fox, the goddess approached Yusuke, who was paralyzed as well, though with anger. Artemis greatly relished this fact, if her smirk was any indication.

Now mere centimeters away from the Spirit Detective, the goddess stroked his cheek with one finger and whispered into the boy's ear, "She wasn't even supposed to be alive, you know. She wasn't going to ever love…" Suddenly, Yusuke snapped.

"Or hate!" Incensed, the Detective fired his reigun at the goddess, who dodged with intense mastery only a deity could possess. Reaching toward the blast, the brunette caught it with her bare hands and sent back twice as powerful as before.

It hit the boy in the stomach, and he spat out blood as he doubled over in pain.

Smiling triumphantly, Artemis cornered the boy, effortlessly blasting away Koenma as he attempted to thwart her. "Scat, Chibi." The Prince was blown away by a stream of crimson energy, sent flying into a wall, breaking it as his now-unconscious form fell limply. "Now, revenge for last time…"

However, as she drew closer to the boy, a tall, orange-haired shadow crept up behind her…

"What do you think you're doing, ningen?" Artemis snapped, turning sharply to face the boy as he attempted a surprise attack.

Kuwabara was clearly startled and responded by the way he knew best: violence. He summoned his Reiken and prodded Artemis's face with it in a rather sharp motion. The goddess let loose an unholy scream as the boy watched in horror and backed away hurriedly, tripping over her own two feet and landing in Diana's disheveled bed.

The goddess glowed with a crimson energy, an energy which enveloped her in seconds, winding about her in the same fashion as Hiei's would be coffin had wound about him. Crimson light flooded the room as she rose into the air, suspended by nothing save the power which surrounded her.

Then, just as suddenly, the light died and the room returned to normal. Well, almost normal. Diana was still floating, still surrounded by crimson. A shadow flew out of her chest and into the atmosphere, and the glow surrounding the girl diminished considerably. As it disappeared entirely, she fell, headed for the linoleum tile, but was caught in the nick of time by newly-awakened Kurama, who hugged her tightly.

"Um... Kurama? You can let go now," The girl gasped, and the fox demon released her. The others began to stir and all stared at Kuwabara in awe, including himself. Koenma was in utter shock.

"Oh my God..." He whispered quietly, eyes wide as he stared at Diana. (She and Kurama quickly distanced themselves.) "MDAS..."

**A/N**: The end of this story is so close I can taste it! Of course, it doesn't matter that I'm eating my fanfic notebook... J/K! I don't actually eat paper, but I think there's some Korean paper or something that is edible... That seems pretty interesting... ANYway, I'd like to apologize for some of the prior chapters, like, the first few. Those sucked. I just hope these newest ones make up for them. Also, I tried really hard to keep them in character, so please comment on that! R+R like always! Ta, and Thanks!


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